Outdoor state briefly

Published: Sunday, January 13, 2008

Weekly migratory bird hunting reports

High Plains Mallard Management Unit/Panhandle: The region needs water on playas, but snow melt has helped out a bit. Canada goose hunting has improved during the last two weeks. Birds have been decoying much better over corn, wheat and rye grass fields. Most goose hunters setting dark goose spreads in feeding fields are getting their birds near Spearman, Dumas, Amarillo, Lubbock and Knox City. Outfitters say they are seeing larger Canadas in the 8-10 pound range since the last cold front. Duck hunting has been spotty, but those playas still holding water are holding the brunt of the duck population. Knox City needs water to fill ponds, and the lack of water has hurt duck hunting. Snow geese are cooperating with a little wind and weather near Lake Etter, but most goose shoots have been for darks. Duck season runs through Jan. 27 and the regular goose season ends Feb. 5. Prospects are fair to good.

North Zone Waterfowl: Hunting for mallards, wood ducks, gadwalls and teal continued solid near Centerville in the Keechi River bottoms. Good shoots for mallards have been had near Eastland and around the Red River. Canvasbacks, scaup, ringed-necks and mallards are good on Toledo Bend. Sloughs off the Sabine River have been fair to good. Those willing to scout on Lake Wright-Patman and the Sulfur River have been getting half-limits of mallards and gadwalls in secluded holes; however, overall hunting in the area has been below average. Hunting in Navarro and Limestone Counties has been fair. Sloughs that had water at the beginning of the season are drying from the lack of rainfall. A brief influx of ducks along the IH-10 corridor improved hunting. Columbus, Sealy, Brookshire and Katy enjoyed more green-winged teal in flooded fields. The season runs through Jan. 27. Prospects are fair to good.